Employee #8 Dealt to Wolves

October 28, 2007

You hesitate to call it a GIGO deal (garbage in, garbage out), but a lot of folks in Miami are stunned that anyone would take Antoine Walker while just as many folks in the Twin Cities are equally shocked that anyone would take Mark Blount.

But the former Celtics, along with another ex-Celt, the peripatetic Ricky Davis, are once again on the move. Who says the exhibition season is meaningless? Pat Riley took a look at his 0-7 Miami Heat, saw his 2002-03 Miami Heat, and pulled the trigger on the biggest deal of the preseason.

The immediate beneficiary appears to be Miami. Davis is proven as a scorer, which Miami desperately needs with Dwyane Wade still on the mend and Shaquille O'Neal still, um, on the payroll. If and when everyone gets back on the floor, the Heat could be significantly improved. Blount can spell Shaq, and Davis can be a second or third scoring option. For now, he'll be No. 1 with Wade still hors de combat and Shaq, um, on the payroll.

Riley had Davis for a season (in which Davis played 70 minutes over seven games) early in Davis's career (2000-01).

"I made the mistake of trading him," Riley said. "He's a very talented kid. He was not a problem here. We just needed to move and get bigger players at that time. Over the next six years he has been very efficient."

Davis, still only 28, has now been traded for the fifth time, and from Minnesota, we saw the code phrase "strong personalities" mentioned in the Wolves' reasoning for the deal. Hmm. Whatever are they talking about?

That also applied to Blount, and there had to be concern in Minnesota about the Blount-Al Jefferson relationship, given Big Al's strong comments after Blount was traded in December 2005. The Timberwolves still have roster work to do, but they did get a first-round pick out of the deal.

"There's still dust in the air," Minnesota hoops boss Kevin McHale said. "Any more dust in the air is not going to bother anything. These next few days always will be interesting. Then we'll let it settle and see what it is."

Which leaves Employee No. 8. He has been traded five times in the last five years, and this one probably hurts as much as any of them. He made the mistake of irritating Riley with his lack of conditioning, and he wasn't dealing from a position of strength. Heck, he wasn't even playing. That's how you get yourself traded; tick off the coach when you're not contributing.

"It was a good trade for Miami; I didn't think it was a good trade for Antoine," said Paul Pierce "He doesn't want to be a part of rebuilding. He's got a taste of what winning would be like. I know if I was him, I'd be disappointed. I know he probably is. I know him and Riley had their rifts and he probably wanted out of that situation. But I know there could have been a better situation for him out there."

Like maybe Boston? There's a roster spot open. (Just kidding.)

Chances are McHale (who actually got some rare credit in Minny for this one) knows that as well. The last thing he or coach Randy Wittman wants or needs on a young, impressionable team is an out-of-shape, out-of-sorts veteran with an undeniably strong personality.

The Wolves already saved some money by shedding Blount's silly contract. They might want to consider a buyout with Walker and let him see what's out there.

"It's tough just knowing him," former Heat teammate James Posey said of Walker. "He's a competitor."

As for Miami, the Heat averaged 85.9 points in the exhibition season and shot a wretched 42.8 percent. Their leading scorer was Udonis Haslem at 11.8 points a game. Riley is all about the here and now and, clearly, he didn't like what he saw.

"I think the preseason showed that we didn't have what we needed at that position [swingman] even though we have players that can help us," Riley said.

Apparently not enough. Give Riley credit. He's not afraid to stir the shake, so to speak. And, in so doing, you have to like the Heat's chances a lot more now than you did a week ago.